The focus of the festival will “Highlight and promote all categories of paddling, from sea and lake to river and surf.”

According to Tammi Hinkle, owner of Adventures Through Kayaking, “We are so pleased to bring an event of this caliber to Port Angeles.

“It’s one-of-a-kind. No other event in the country highlights and promotes all classes of paddling.

“We hope to introduce a lot of new paddlers to the sport, to help seasoned paddlers learn new skills, to entertain and to come back and do it all again next year.”

The main event will take place on April 12 and 13.

However, the organizers scheduled a “welcome party” for April 11 at 7 p.m. at Barhop Brewing, 124 W. Railroad Ave. in Port Angeles. This is “Where people can gather information and, if they haven’t already, register for the weekend’s activities.”

Two main events are scheduled, Classes, demos and Film Festival.

Classes and demos: “The main event will take place April 12-13 at Hollywood beach. There will be a wide range of kayaks and paddleboards to purchase, classes will meet, the obstacle race will commence, and water-related companies will be on hand to answer questions.”

Nine experts specializing in all forms of paddle sports will offer two days of instruction for the beginner and experienced paddlers. These classes will include intro to sea kayaking, stand-up paddling and Eskimo rolling.

“A corresponding outdoor film festival featuring adventure kayaking expeditions in scenic locations around the world will take place from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. April 12 at The Gateway pavilion at Front and Lincoln streets.”

“Port Angeles resident Chris Duff will tell of his adventures on the sea from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at his keynote presentation at the Red Lion Hotel, 221 N. Lincoln St., on Saturday, April 12.

“Duff is the author of two books: On Celtic Tides, an account of his solo circumnavigation of Ireland, which won the National Outdoor Book Award for 2001; and Southern Exposure, a chronicling of his journey around New Zealand, which won the National Outdoor Book Award, the Benjamin Franklin award and the Banff Mountain Book Festival Grand Prize.”

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John Hall, is a freelance writer who writes articles, short stories, web content, and references books that provide students, librarians, and educators with authoritative, reliable resources supporting the curriculum across a wide variety of subjects. He has worked in academic, government, and private institutions. His areas of expertise include: Culture, Current Events, Ethnic Studies, Folklore/Mythology, Geography, Literature, Migration, Military History, Religion, Society/Family, United States History, and World History. Contact John at jhall81088@msn.com